Objectives: To estimate quantitatively consumers'
satisfaction and correlates of satisfaction with phYSicians
services provided by Ministry of Health Primary Health Ca
Centers in attending consumers.
Methods: Consumers (n=540) attending the selected
Primary Health Care Centers in Riyadh were asked abo
their satisfaction with physician's services. Eight Prima
Health Care Centers were randomly selected according to
geographical location, two from each geographical zone.
Seventy-five subjects were selected systematically where
every tenth Saudi aged 15 years and above who visited the
selected Primary Health Care Centers during the study period
was chosen. Data was collected via a self administered pilot
tested, internally consistent patient satisfaction questionnaire
which included socio-demographic characteristics as well as
the overall and differential satisfaction with the different
aspects of physicians' services in the selected Primary Health
Care Centers rated in a scale of 1-5 points, the higher the
score the higher the satisfaction.
Results: The results revealed that males constituted 60%,
and 58% of all patients were married, more than 60% were
employees and more than 70% have a monthly income of
less than 6000 Saudi Riyals. Almost 95% have an open file in
the Primary Health Care Center and 39% think that the
distance to the Primary Health Care Center is far or very far.
The summary satisfaction score was 3.77 pOints and the
mean satisfaction with the services provided by physicians
was 2.56 points out of a maximum of 5 points The highest
satisfaction was for discussing psychological aspects of
patients' problems (2.96 points) and the lowest was for
attentive listening to patients' complaints (2.22 points).
PhYSicians' communication skills were more satisfactory to
patients than their professional skills and satisfying patients'
wishes scored the lowest satisfaction- Unskilled laborers,
literate patients and patients with higher income showed
significantly higher mean satisfaction while students,
illiterates, those aged less than 50 years and patients with
income less than 6000 Riyals per months scored the lowest